Line band selector for differential tin plate marker



Dec. 31, 1968 R. A. PANNIER 3,413,934

LINE BAND SELECTOR FOR DIFFERENTIAL TIN PLATE MARKER Sheet Filed Nov.18, 1965 lllllllllllllllllllll lllll l I mm m M "w. V u M t 10 km M a Ak m B T m C Q Dec. 31, 1968 R. A. PANNIER 3,418,934

LINE BAND SELECTOR FOR DIFFERENTIAL TIN PLATE MARKER Filed Nov. 18, 1965Sheet 2 of 3 6x INVENHIR -3 Ram A. Emu/5e BY CAzameasfieamsts H15 Armeusrs Dec. 31, 1968 R. A. PANNIER I 4 LINE BAND SELECTOR FORDIFFERENTIAL TIN PLATE MARKER Filed Nov. 18, 1965 Sheet 3 of 5 IN ENTOR.Am FHA. nun/12 Cneo THEES 42 (A/20 rue/es H15 A rraeuevs nite StateABSTRACT (3F THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a simplified band printerfor a differential tin plate line having a series of uniformly spacedannular printing bands on a rotary cylinder mounted on a base andsynchronously driven to have continuous contact with a travelling stripof material. The printing bands maintain continuous contact with thetravelling strip. The selective printing bands print on the runningstrip of material by selectively moving their applicator into engagementwith their respective printing band. Each applicator is continuouslysupplied with ink and is slidably supported from the base by guide andpiston rods which rods are selectively reciprocal to advance and engageeach applicator with its respective printer band to transfer ink to theband and thence to the travelling strip to selectively code mark thesame while the applicator is in engagement with its band, and when theapplicator is retracted it ceases to supply ink to the printing bandwhich is still in continuous contact with the travelling strip. Theprinting bands always operate in continuous contact with the travellingstrip which is the crux of this invention. The applicators arecontinuously supplied with ink. They are reciprocally mounted and may beselectively advanced or retracted to engage their respective printingband to print a specific code and identify the mill, the character ofthe sheet, the character of the coating, the date and any number ofdifferent intelligence by merely selectively reciprocating theapplicators without stopping the basic code printing or the line. Thereciprocation of the applicator may be manual with hand levers or locks.An applicator may be power actuated and locked in its advanced orretracted position may be power released from either position ormanually released if power locked.

This invention relates generally to tin plate line band printers havinga roll with a series of printing bands for legend marking a travelingstrip of tin plate, and more particularly to a selector for changing thelegend without interrupting the fast movement of the tin plate strip.

A line band tin plate strip travels at a high rate of speed through theprocess of tin plating the surfaces of the strip. The thickness of thetin plate coating are required to be changed on one or both sides of thestrip for different purposes and uses. The legend plate marking isapplied to the strip and is covered by the tin plate.

The legend may provide a readable key to the character and thickness ofthe tin plate, the manufacture and the particular line on which thestrip was run. The line band printer comprises a rotary driven rolllonger than the tin plate strip is wide and carrying thereon a series ofprinting bands which are approximately one-half inch apart. Thus, astrip five feed wide may have as many as one hundred and twenty lines toproduce the legend and identify the character and thickness of the tinplate and the identity of the manufacturer.

A single solid printer roll, with a printing band every half inch of itslength, must be capable of selectively 1 tent marking the traveling tinplate without interruption of its rotation. This is accomplished bywithdrawing the marking solution from the particular printing bands notincorporated in the particular selected code or legend. This withdrawalof the particular marking solutions is accomplished by a cleaning of theprinting bands so that those not to be in use will have no solution andthose in use remain moistened by the marking solution.

Thus only the inkers or marking solution transfer applicators may bewithdrawn and the printing bands cleaned, or all of the marking solutionapplicators may be removed and all of the printing bands then cleaned,and only the selected applicators returned to renew the wetting of theselected printing bands making up the code legend. These applicators arepreferably electrically controlled. They may be actuated by single ordouble acting pneumatic pistons energized through electrically operatedvalves. This electronic control may be preset by cords or tape whichalso control the tin plate characteristics so that both the actual tinplate and the legend are simultaneously changed by a predetermined orderthat is automatically set in motion to a computer type control. The millthus continues to run automatically, changing the tin plate coating andthe legend automatically until the termination of the order or series oforders previously stored in the computer control.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a battery ofcylinder blocks embraced by end pieces to house independent cylindersand operating pistons with guides for reciprocally supporting individualapplicators in their operating position, non-operating position orfurther retracted to their lock out position. These independentapplicators function through at least two electrically operatedpneumatic valves wherein three valves are in alignment with each othersince they are wider than the cylinders which are on half inch centers.These electrically operated pneumatic valves are supplemented by anelectric lock out and a latch release member, which may be manuallyoperated or released. This lock out holds the applicator furtherretracted and out of service. It is used in those instances where theselected line band is not normally employed but the band is alwayspresent when needed. Thus the electric lockouts are supplemented by amanual lock out and released.

The wiping roll is pivoted to the common frame that supports the liquidmarking applicators and the operating structure therefor. This isinserted as a unit to operate with existing structures. The wiping rollis rotatably mounted on an axis that is pivoted to swing the whole ofthe roll into surface contact with the printing bands. The roll ispreferably made of a material that has absorption qualities as well asgood wiping characteristics such as a felt or plastic surface that hassome resistance. This type of wiping roll is preferably driven by theline band printing surfaces so that there may be some slippage thatactually aids in wiping these printing surfaces of the bands.

The weight of the long wiping roll may be supplemented by a drive to addpressure for the Wiping action.

While in retracted position the Wiping roll may be in a bath forcleaning and be turned manually or by any other suitable means throughthe center of its pivoted axis. Sunch a drive may also be employed toprovide a positive slippage between the printing roll bands and thewiping roll.

Through use, this wiping roll may have slight grooves worn in itssurface. Such grooves aid in cleaning the side edges of the printingband marking surfaces which insures a clean printing surface so thatwhen it engages the tin plate, it will not mark the same if its markingapplicator has been withdrawn.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the followingdescription and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplificationwithout limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practicalembodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section illustrating the cooperativearrangement of the several parts of the printing band selector for adifferential tin plate line band printer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away of the structure shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of a modified form of the air cylinder blocks ofthe operating structure.

FIG. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of one aircylinder block at a larger scale.

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical section with parts broken away showing amanually operated applicator.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the main frame 1 has the sideWalls 2 integrally connected by the upwardly open pan 3 which has adrain return indicated at 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the end walls 2,only one being shown, have the laterally outwardly extending on oppositesides of the frame 1 mounting plates 5 only one being shown, withforward and aft mounting holes 9 to adjustably support the entireassembly so that the printing bands 6 will engage the upwardly travelingstrip 7 to be tin coated. A back up roll 8 supports the strip 7 offsetfrom the point of tangency of the printing bands 6.

The printing roll 10 is mounted on the shaft 11 journaled in thevertical slide block bearings 12 at each end of the roll and outside ofthe side walls 2. Each bearing block has outwardly open vertical groovesslidable on the vertical inturned ways 13 secured on the outer face ofthe side walls 2. A slot 14 is in each end wall to receive the shaft 11.The end 15 of the shaft 11 is provided with suitable means, not shown,to drive the line band printing roll 10. A hearing collar 16 is providedon each end of the shaft 11 to retain the printing roll 10 in alignmentrelative to the bearings 12.

A shaft bearing bracket lock 17 holds the foot of the slide bearingblock 12 on the gage block 18 at each end of the shaft. This lockbracket 17 is held by the bolts 20 against the top of the way 13 and thetop of the slide bearing block 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The top of the side walls 2 support the hinged lid 21 pivoted at thehinge 22.

The main frame 1 contains an inner independently removable frame 23which has the bottom plate 24 and the upper mounting bars 25. The bottomplate 24 is secured to the side walls 26 which in turn are detachablysecured to the end walls 2 so that the inner frame 23 may beindependently retracted and removed, taking all of the operatingstructure from the vicinity of the main frame. In this way a whole unitmay be changed for cleaning and repairs requiring a short time toreplace the unit. The tin plate line may be operating and the loss ofmarking is very small in percentage of the whole strip. Thus, if anymalfunction in the unit occurs, it may be quickly replaced by a spareunit while the other unit is cleaned and repaired as a spare.

In order to readily remove this inner frame or unit 23, its side walls26 have the laterally extending and upwardly slanting slide bars 27shown in FIG. 2 which slide in the inwardly open slots 28 in the innerfaces of the main frame side walls 2. The rear portion of the slots 28are upwardly open as shown in FIG. 1 to allow the whole inner frame 23,with the extending slide bars 27, to be slide rearwardly and raised fromthe main frame 1 only after the bolts have been withdrawn from the caps30. Then the ends of the slide bars 27 pass out of the opposed upwardlyopen slots 28 permitting the whole of the inner frame 23 with everythingattached thereto to be raised upwardly and rearwardly as a unit.

The forward end of the inner frame 23 supports marking liquid reservoir31 which is closed at opposite ends by the walls 26. This marking liquidmay be any suitable liquid such as sodium dichromate solution which issupplied through the pipe nipple 32. The pipe nipple 32 has a fixedcollar 33 retractable into the recess 34 so as to free the frame 23 forremoval.

The applicator for this marking liquid from the well or trough 31 is asponge rubber member 35 mounted as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 between aconnected pair of plates 36 having a mounting bar 37 secured to theguide bar 38. The plates 36 are provided with a series of holes 29 forthe ingress of the marking fluid from the trough 31. As shown in FIG. 2,these applicators have little clearance between each other. A piston rod40 is connected to the mounting bar 37.

As shown in FIG. 3, there are two guide rods 38 and 39 and one pistonrod 40 are mounted in blocks 41 each of which carries four cylinders,two in each row offset vertically and spaced vertically and horizontallyone-half inch. Each of the intermediate blocks may be as many astwenty-six four cylinder blocks 41 with one end block 42 and the otherend block 43, all of which are bolted together by the four bolts 44. Theblocks must have an offset to properly fit together but this offsetrequires that the upper and lower guide bars 38 and 39 to occupy guideholes 45 some of which are half in each adjacent block. This arrangementpermits at least one guide slot cylinder 48 for each piston to be in thesolid block while other pistons have only one guide slot 45 in the solidblock While the other guide slot 46 is in the split between adjacentblocks.

Each piston 47 is operable in its guide slot cylinder 48. The pistonrods 40 extends through the rod bearings 50 and a compression spring 63is positioned between the bearing 50 and the piston 47. The bearing 50permits the end of the cylinder to allow the ingress and egress ofambient air. The other end of the cylinders 48 have the adapters 51 toreceive each respective flexible tube 52 that lead to their respectiveelectrically operated valve 56, 57 and 58. Each cylinder 48progressively from the right end of the clamped cylinder blocks 41, 42and 43, are connected by their respective tubes 52 in turn and to theirrespective operating valve in sequence to the top cylinder A and thebottom cylinder B of the end block 43 and the top cylinder C of thefirst two cylinders and to their respective pneumatic valves A rear 56,B front 57, and C bottom 58. The next sequence is A front, B bottom, Crear and these are repeated. Each of these pneumatic valves are actuatedby their counterpart electrical means such as the solenoids 60, 61 and62 as respectively attached thereto indicated in FIG. 1 to control theoperation of their respective piston 47. These solenoid operatedpneumatic valves are similar to those disclosed in FIG. 7 of US. Patent2,112,688.

As shown in FIG. 4, if each of the pistons 47 are provided with thecompression spring 63 on their respective piston rods 40, this springwill return the piston as shown.

The tubing 52 may be bent to readily make these connections but thissequence keeps them from crossing or interfering with one another. Theirelectric controls and pneumatic valves are mounted in a box 64 which ismounted by brackets 65 to the walls 26 of the inner frame 23. Thebrackets 66 clamp the piston block assembly 41, 42 and 43 together andto the bottom 24 of the inner frame 23.

The sides 26 of the inner frame 23 also rotatably support the wiper roll67 which may alternately be swung to engage and clean the printing band6 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, or be immersed in the bath 53 asshown in full lines. The roll 67 may be freely rotated with somefriction to make a wiping contact with the line printing band 6 whenpositioned as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 or it may be independentlyrotated. The

roll 67 is on the shaft 68 which is rotatably supported on the arms 70pivoted on the shaft 71 journaled in the wall 26 of the inner frame 23.This first shaft 71 carries the outer shaft 72 having the sprocket 73and chain 74 to drive the sprocket 75 fixed to the roll 67. Thus,relative motion may be provided between this felt wiper roll 67 and allof the line printing bands 6. The bath 53 is provided for cleaningsolution to clean the felt roll 67 of any marking solution depositedthereon. The stops 54 support the arms 70 and the roll 67 suspended inthe bath 53 as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1.

All of the pistons 47 may be retracted by exhausting the air from theirrespective cylinders through their electrically controlled valves 56, 57and 58 and after the printing bands have been cleaned the respectiveselected bands 6 have their cylinders energized to print the properlegend on the traveling strip 7.

As shown in FIG. 4, each piston 47 may also be provided with a secondspring 76 which with the spring 63 centers the piston within thecylinder 48. This makes a good stop position for the pistons 47, aspreviously described and also has a further advantage in conjunctionwith a manual lockout or an electrically operated lock out or performedby the use of the latch bar 77 or the lock bars 91. The purpose of thelockout is to insure the nonuse of selected printing bands. This may bearranged manually or electronically by computer control.

It is preferable to tie the guide rods 38 and 39 together at oppositeends. This is done by the latch bar 77 which is secured to both guiderods for each piston 47 and has an electrically controlled crank arm 78pivoted at 80 and provided with a spring return 81 which permits thecrank to return when de-energized. The arm 82 on the crank isindependently pivoted at 80 to permit this arm to return in front of thelatch bar 77. The solenoid 83 rotates the crank arm 78 to rearwardlymove the latch bar 77 and the compressed spring biased core of thesolenoid 84 until the core catches in the abutment 85 as shown to retainthe crank arm 78 in this position so as to maintain the piston 47retracted by the guides 38 and 39 regardless of the pneumatic pressure.When solenoid 84 is energized the spring biased solenoid core iswithdrawn from the abutment 85 and the crank arm 78 is released and thepiston 47 is returned to the position where the control valve iseffective to again operate it and move that particular applicator intocontact with the line printing band 6. This latch bar 77 may be manuallyset by pushing it rearwardly and released by manually forcing the springbiased solenoid core from the abutment 85 thus lifting the crank arm 78.

A similar manual control is shown in FIG. 5 wherein each of the twoguides 38 and 39' for each mounting bar 37 are passed through the block89 and one guide is short and provided with a stop 86 while the otherguide is provided with a compression spring 87 between the block 89 andthe abutment 88. This is purely a manual operation requiring theoperator to force the selected respective rods 39 forward to compresstheir respective springs 87 and latch their respective notches 90 intheir respective lock bar 91 as it passes therethrough as shown in thedrawing, which latch bar may be mounted on the back wall of the underpan 3 as shown in FIG. 1 to force the respective applicators intocontact with its respective printing band 6. The rods 39 are shown tohave clearance in the block 89 and are preferably alternately high andlow in the block 89 as were the pneumatic pistons. Thus, the independentmeans to retain each applicator is the notch 90 in each lock rod 39'which catches in the lock bar 91. Again, the play in the hole in theblock permits the lock rod 39' to be readily raised and lowered to latchand unlatch the position of its applicator 35. The springs 87 readilyreturn the applicators when released. The foreportion of the rod 39 mayfunction as a guide rod. A pivot in the rods 39' may be provided betweenthe spring abutment 88 and the lock bar 91 as indicated at 92 so thatthe lock rods 39 are easily locked into position or released therefromfor selectively determining the printing code of the band 6 by manuallymanipulating the latch bars 77 in the lock bar 91.

I claim:

1. A printing band selector for a differential tin plate line bandprinter having a series of uniformly spaced annular printing bandsmounted on a rotatable printing cylinder synchronously driven for legendmarking on a travelling strip of material, characterized by a baserotatably supporting said cylinder with all of the printing bands incontinuous contact with the travelling strip of material and includingfor each printing band an applicator continuously supplied with markingsolution and slidably supported from said base by guide and piston rodsto be selectively reciprocal to advance and engage each applicator withits respective printing band to supply marking solution to eachpredetermined printing band while in engagement therewith and whenretracted cease to supply marking solution to each printing band,independent power means connected to actuate each respective piston rodto reciprocate each applicator and selectively advance and retract saidapplicator for engagement with and retraction from their respectiveprinting band while the latter maintains contact with the travellingstrip of material.

2. The printing band selector of claim 1 wherein said guide meansincludes a handle for manually advancing and retracting each applicator,a locking abutment for each handle to hold its applicator retracted, andreleasable lock means to retain said locking abutment in each handlewith its applicator retracted in its locked position.

3. The printing band selector of claim 2 wherein said releasable lockmeans is manually releasable.

4. The printing band selector of claim 2 wherein said releasable lockmeans is power actuated 5. The printing band selector of claim 3 whereineach of said manually releasable lock means is a pivoted lever, and saidpiston rod operated by a spring return pneumatic piston energized by asolenoid valve to electrically and remotely control the operation ofsaid manually releasable lock means.

6. The printing band selector of claim 1 wherein each of saidindependent power means includes a spring biased to return pneumaticpiston connected to its respective piston rod and having a solenoidvalve to electrically and remotely control the pneumatic operation ofsaid piston and reciprocal applicator, said spring to withdraw saidpiston and applicator when pneumatic pressure is released by saidsolenoid valve.

7. The printing band selector of claim 2 wherein each of saidindependent power means connected to each piston rod includes opposedbiasing springs centering a pneumatic piston in its retracted positionand having an electrically actuated valve with means to electrically andremotely control the operation of said pneumatic piston to reciprocateits respective piston rod and applicator, one of said springs iscompressed when pneumatic pressure is applied and withdraws said pistonand applicator when pneumatic pressure is released by said electricallyoperated valve, and said other of said springs to return said piston andapplicator from its locked open position to its retracted position.

8. The printing band selector of claim 7 wherein said releasable lockmeans has a power actuated means having a solenoid to electrically andremotely control the operation to release said lock means.

9. The printing band selector of claim 8 wherein said guide meansincludes a pair of rods, one above and one below its respectivepneumatic actuating piston, said guide rods connected to said applicatorat one end and to said releasable lock means at its other end.

10. A printing band selector for a dilferential tin plate line bandprinter having a series of uniformly spaced annular printing bandsmounted on a rotatable printing cylinder synchronously driven for legendmarking on a travelling strip of material, characterized by a baserotatably supporting said cylinder with all of the printing bands incontinuous contact with the travelling strip of material and includingfor each printing band an applicator continuously supplied with markingsolution and slidably supported from said base by guide and piston rodsto be selectively reciprocal to advance and engage each applicator withits respective printing band to supply marking solution to eachpredetermined printing band while in engagement therewith and whenretracted cease to supply marking solution to each predeterminedprinting band, independent means to independently and selectively retaineach applicator in contact with its respective printing band, and meansto independently and selectively Withdraw each applicator from contactwith its respective printing band.

11. The printing band selector of claim 10 wherein said independentmeans to retain each selected applicator in contact with its printingband is a control rod having a lock notch to receive and lock on a lockbar to retain its applicator in engagement with its printing band, andspring means to hold said control rod of said selected applicator lockedon its notch and to retract said applicator when said notch is releasedfrom said lock bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 410,154 9/1889 Dean et al 1182212,952,204 9/1960 Sherman 101-1 XR 3,244,139 4/1966 Brown et a1. 1l822lXR ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

J. R. FISHER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

